It wasn’t the fear of The Walking Dead marauding on the streets that did it. It was the fear they’d leave. The popular AMC show, which is filmed in the Peach State, joined Disney and Marvel in vowing to leave if Georgia went through with a law allowing faith-based organizations to discriminate against gay, lesbian and transgender people. The threat worked. Though the Republican-dominated legislature passed the bill, the governor refused to sign it after hearing of Hollywood lining up against it. Dozens of states have their own versions of the law on the books – or are considering it. North Carolina’s own attorney general calls House Bill 2 a “national embarrassment.” Among other things, it would require transgender people to use the bathroom associated with the gender on their birth certificate. Meaning someone living as a woman, who may have even undergone gender re-assignment surgery, would legally be required to use the men’s bathroom.
What does ‘faith-based’ mean?
The laws are often called Religious Freedom Restoration Acts. They’re to protect those opposed, for instance, to same sex marriage from having to perform one.
They are typically limited only to “faith-based” organizations. But no definition of faith-based exists, so a motel with a cross in the office or a restaurant run by a devout Christian family could legally refuse to serve a gay couple.
But now there are consequences – and they’re coming from some of the biggest names in corporate America.
Apple, Amazon, Google, Target, Monsanto, Unilever, Intel and about 60 more. The Business Coalition for the Equality Act consists of companies that operate in all 50 states, have a combined $1.9 trillion in revenue and employ more than 4.2 million workers. And they’re not afraid of making threats. Nor do they worry about a backlash, since they’re doing it together.
Well done AMC and other companies!!! 🌈